Welcome to the Board Retailers Association (BRA) website. Below you will find helpful and relevant articles that we carefully curate for the benefit of our BRA Retail Members several times per week. Be sure to scroll through the most recent articles or use the Search/Lookup feature in the Menu above to find topics and keywords related to recent and not-so-recent articles that may help you lower costs, increase margins, or create more remarkable customer experiences. We deliberately made this our site landing page to demonstrate our commitment to “Protecting Retailers and a Lifestyle” for over 20 years (since 2003).
Be sure to visit the About Us, Retail Member Benefits and Join pages on this site to learn more about and benefit from our resourceful nonprofit trade association committed to helping board specialty, outdoor specialty, and lifestyle specialty retailers to survive, thrive, and keep “the special in specialty” for free.
“Top 11 Causes of Boating Accidents – These 11 mundane events cause the most critical boating accidents.” by Steve Griffin via BoatingSafetyMag.com
Most critical boating accidents stem from these 11 events. Zach Stovall Boating accidents make news. Maybe it’s a throwback to the great tales of misadventure at sea. Maybe it’s their novelty; many mundane activities are statistically riskier. But beyond the...
“Skateboarding eyes brighter future with USOPC support on mental issues” by Rory Carroll via Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The skateboarding community, rocked by several prominent deaths related to mental health issues, is hoping the benefits that go with the sport’s inclusion in this year’s Tokyo Olympics will help its athletes tackle the underlying...
“Shopify adds Shop Pay to Facebook, Instagram” by Tatiana Walk-Morris via Retail Dive
Dive Brief: As social commerce accelerates, Shopify is integrating Shop Pay into Instagram and Facebook, the e-commerce platform announced on Tuesday. The move allows consumers to pay Shopify merchants using Shop Pay on those platforms. Shop Pay automatically fills in...
“Love Letters To Small Businesses” by Lora Kelley via The New York Times
Illustrated by Broobs Small businesses make communities — whether densely populated urban areas or small towns — feel like home. It’s no secret that many businesses have been struggling over the past year. In New York City alone, almost 3,000...
“Mark McMorris, Zoi Sadowski-Synott Win Natural Selection in Jackson Hole” by Ben Osborne via The Inertia
Mark McMorris has been here before. Photo: Red Bull Content Pool If you’re tuned into the core snowboard community, you know the value of a proper switch method — and from the moment Mikkel Bang took the win over Pat Moore in the Quarterfinals with a switch...
“Why you need to make Online Reviews a focus in 2021” by Shannon Blake of Podium
Reviews can be make-or-break for any business, and that’s never been more true than it is in 2021. But what do customers care about most? Is it simply just a good star rating? Is it worth your time to respond to reviews? And what makes customers more likely to leave...
“LET’S TALK WITH CHRIS NIERATKO ABOUT SKATE SHOP DAY, THE EVOLUTION OF SKATE SHOPS, GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, THE OLYMPICS AND MORE” by Jordy via Good Day To Skateboards
Chris Nieratko has been a big voice in skateboarding for more than twenty-five years. More recently, him and his friends started Skate Shop Day, which will be held on February 19th this year, for its second edition. We had the chance to talk with him to learn...
“The Winter Show Continues” by Lisa Ramsperger via OR Magazine
Outdoor Retailer Winter Online is just getting started. While Summit Days have passed, the digital marketplace remains active and education is ongoing through March 19. There’s a lot of time to schedule meetings, find new products for your store, and make new...
“BEHIND THE BLACK LIST: A Growing Guide of Black-owned Brands, Retailers, and Organizations in Skateboarding Complied” by Patrick Kigongo via Artless Industria
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF P. KIGONGO A few days ago Patrick Kigongo set out to compile what he calls a “non-comprehensive list of Black-owned skate industry brands.” The Black List quickly expanded to include media and organizations. I wanted the Artless Industria®...
“All 2020 quarterly Action Watch Reports are now accessible to BRA Distinguished Retail Members” by Doug Works, Executive Director of Board Retailers Association
Action Watch (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner) works with specialty retailers, brands and industry partners in the surf and skate industries to share in-depth insights and actionable data on buying patterns so that we can all make better, more informed decisions to...
“11 Ways Skateboarding Thrived in 2020” by Zane Foley via Skatism.com
If we didn’t have skateboarding during this pandemic and 2020, where would we all be? Mentally, physically, spiritually, it’s safe to say none of us want to even think about what life would have been like this past year without skateboarding. Still, regardless...
“How Retailers Will Thrive in 2021, According to 11 Experts” courtesy of Heartland Retail (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
As retailers reflect on the last 12 months of the rollercoaster the industry rode—er, might still be riding—you can’t help but chuckle at some of the predictions made for 2020. Curiously enough, while few forecasted the actual impact of COVID-19, many themes still...
“How to Conquer Your Selling Fears” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
I was talking to a pool builder who had just put in a new pool. His client lived in a very expensive neighborhood, drove a Bentley; you get the picture. A few months later the client’s neighbor installed a pool … from a different pool builder. The Bentley guy went to...
“Remembering Skate Industry Vet Mark Waters” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf
We were sad to hear the news this week that skateboard industry veteran Mark Waters passed away after a battle with COVID-19. Mark had a long career in skateboarding, including working at companies such as Tum Yeto and Sole Technology, in addition to working for USA...
“Retail 2021 E commerce in the New Normal” Webinar (on-demand) via Management One Retail
Click on the video below for a free, on-demand discussion with Josh Orr of Streamline Retail as we talk through the ways retailers are successfully using e-commerce to reach more of their "perfect customers" and how they keep them coming back again and again. The...
“A LOOK AT THE SKATEBOARD DROUGHT OF 2020” by Ian Browning via Jenkem Mag
If you’ve walked into a skate shop over the last couple of months, you may have had some difficulty getting your hands on the product you came in for. Sadly, these days it’s not unheard of for a shop to be fully out of boards, trucks, wheels, or bearings. Since the...
“Put Your “Retail Puzzle” Together” by Tom Schrepferman
Have you ever worked a 10,000 piece puzzle? Imagine all of those pieces spread out on your table. Where do you start? How do you start? You probably have these questions about how to thrive coming out of the COVID-19 retail challenges. Here’s how we recommend you...
“Did Pete Mel Just Catch the Wave of the Decade at Maverick’s? Many in the channel say, “hell yeah!”” by Marcus Sanders via Surfline.com
Photo: Audrey Lambidakis Earlier today, Peter Mel, who already snagged one of the best waves of the year at Maverick’s on December 8th — and was towed into a bomb and then rescued by his son last Saturday — just upped the ante. Again. See...
“An Evolutionary Reinvention of Retail” by Paco Underhill via The Robin Report
PrePan…Pan…Not-Yet-PostPan. What does the world of retail look like now? What did we learn? What did we let go of …and what changed us? Here’s a retrospective look forward. 1. Shopping Safely You’d have to living in a cave not to know that digital sales have exploded...
“BRA Retailer Roundtable Panel Discussion (from Surf Expo Connect), other relevant videos from the BRA YouTube Channel and more”
Board Retailers Association organizes and expresses the views and concerns of independent board specialty retailers to industry associations, major trade show organizations and others in an effort to help promote our industry, support the board sports specialty...
“How to Generate More Location Reviews for Your Stores” by Podium (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
If you’re lacking location-specific reviews, you’re losing sales and referrals. You’re sending more customers to your competition. Discover how you can beat the competition with 5 simples steps. 97% of consumers read online reviews when searching for retail...
“Ron Jon Leaders on What Worked in 2020 and Plans for 2021” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf
Ron Jon Surf Shop at Disney Springs in Orlando - SES file photo Please click on the following link to view this relevant Shop Eat Surf Article containing comment from Debbie Harvey (BRA Board Member) of Ron Jon Surf Shops (BRA Distinguished Retail Member): "Ron Jon...
“7 Ways How To Grow Your Retail Sales The Week After Christmas” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
After-Christmas retail can be fun - even with a pandemic - as long as you stay focused on making money instead of just giving it away through aggressive promotions and discounts. After Christmas Day has come and gone retailers of all sizes, from boutiques to...
“Covid 19 Relief Package – U.S. Congress Passes Bill” via Management One
The saying “better late than never” can certainly apply here… After dragging its feet for months (which felt like years), U.S. Congress has delivered a stimulus bill offering relief to small businesses and families struggling to survive the recent COVID surge. How...
“Ten Leadership Lessons from 2020” By Deborah Patton via The Robin Report
In so many ways, the date of a new year is arbitrary. In Western societies, we’re still on the Gregorian calendar, but there are plenty of cultures that walk to a different time drummer: Hebrew, Maya, Chinese, Navaho, Islam. Yet it is the significance of a new...
“2020 Wake Awards – The Winners Find out who won in a year unlike any other!” by Wakeboarding Magazine
The 2020 Wake Awards are live, and you can watch the show here: https://youtu.be/9gDlGMmtvOM If you’re looking to read about the winners, you’ve come to the right spot. Celebrating the highlights, achievements and progression over the past year, this year’s Wake...
“Outdoor Retailer’s second all-digital trade show prepares for launch OR leadership released the conference’s education and event lineup today, Registrants can now start building their profiles and schedules” by Andrew Weaver via SNEWS
Get ready for round two, everyone. After debuting its first all-digital trade show this summer, learning from industry feedback, and making tweaks to the format, Outdoor Retailer is ready to go forward with its second iteration of the...
“3 Reasons People Buy on Impulse and How to Capitalize on Them” by Ray Ko via Brand United
Credit: Image by gonghuimin468 from Pixabay Never underestimate the potential of a last-minute purchase. Today’s consumers are not only more likely to buy in-store, they’re more likely to buy more in-store, and that includes impulse purchases....
“THE DIY PARKS BUILT DURING COVID” by Larry Lanza via JENKEM Mag
Whether it’s an unevenly poured quarterpipe or haggard bowl corner, DIY parks are the cornerstones to a lot of skate communities. It’s the meetup spot that you never leave, the hangout spot when you’re too hungover to actually skate, and the safe haven for all the...
“Surfer Attacked by Shark at Honolua Bay During the Maui Pro Has Died” by Joe Carberry via The Inertia
The victim was a 56-year-old Lahaina resident. Photo: Cayla Moore/WSL Yesterday we reported that the surfer attacked by a shark Tuesday at Honolua Bay, which postponed the Maui Pro, was in stable condition in a local hospital following surgery. Since...
“BRA To Offer Retail Members Exclusive Healthcare Insurance Coverage” via Press Release
By Board Retail Association | Originally published on Nov 4, 2020. Updated on Dec 9, 2020 LIG Solutions announces a partnership with the Board Retailers Association to offer its Distinguished Retail Members, their families and their employees...
“2021 Marketing With Email & SMS” by Krystina Morgan via Independent Retailer
Now that indie retailers everywhere are ready to rack in holiday sales, the rest of the year is going to be spent figuring out ways to retain all those new customers. Bluecore warns in a report on shoppers motives and preferences that while acquisition...
“3 Ways to Keep Inventory Fresh and Improve Sell-Through” by Emily Fanning of Heartland Retail
Board retailers, even more so than other specialty stores, tend to have extremely loyal client bases. It’s a blessing, with a small spritz of a curse: the more often they come in, the more “same old” they see. So with your best customers visiting multiple times a...
“Holiday Rebound: Apparel Retailers Drive Sales With Flexible Payment Options” by PYMNTS.com via link from The Robin Report
Many American consumers are feeling the financial squeeze as the holiday shopping season goes on and will be turning to flexible spending plans to help put them at ease. More merchants are embracing buy now, pay later (BNPL) options to allow consumers to pay in four...
“Help Strengthen Our Water Sports Industry by Sharing this Universal Content” via WSIA Newsletter
For years, the Water Sports Foundation (WSF) has been developing boating safety content in collaboration with the United States Coast Guard in order to touch on key safety issues and work to change boaters' behavior on the water. This content is available for all who...
“How To Convert Holiday Shoppers Into Loyal Year Round Customers” by Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
It is so important to convert holiday shoppers into loyal customers because you have so many more bodies walking through your doors after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. When I was starting out as a retail manager, I had a new sales guy who was killing it two weeks in...
“Skate & Create, Street Edition” via Transworld Skateboarding (updated on Nov. 30th)
Transworld Skateboarding is proud to announce the return of Skate & Create, Street Edition. Four teams. Four original concepts. One month in the streets. https://youtu.be/ydogZJ54TV0 Skate & Create 2020 Promo Transworld Skateboarding is proud to...
“What a vaccine could mean for retail” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive
Originally posted on November 10, 2020 then updated. On Monday morning, when VF Corp. announced that it will plunk down more than $2 billion to snag streetwear favorite Supreme for its portfolio, the apparel conglomerate probably thought it would count as retail's...
“Brick and Mortar: The Original Marketplace” by Dan Pankratz via PropagandaHQ.net
Brick and mortar retailers are the original marketplace for brands to sell to the end customer. It’s not news that this is changing and changing fast. It feels like new online marketplaces are popping up almost daily. As brands are looking for more ways to sell...
“Torey Pudwill and Chris Haslam | LARVIKITE LINES” via Transworld Skateboarding
https://youtu.be/RnrUUjcmv6Y Click to view this remarkable story. When the opportunity arose to visit Lundhs Real Stone quarry and create a permanent Larvikite skatepark for the town’s skate scene, Torey Pudwill, Chris Haslam and Angelo Caro flew in to link up with...
“JENK TV: CONSTRUCTING A SKATEBOARD OUT OF SODA BOXES” by IAN MICHNA & ROB FRAEBEL via Jenkem Mag
Welcome back to Jenk TV! For this episode, we tried to get DIY with it and build our own skateboard deck out of trash scraps. Our intern Bechara was inspired by the ongoing hardgoods shortage and wanted to see if he could make a deck...
” The Inertia Wetsuit Guide 2020″ by staff via The Inertia
Editor’s Note: The 2020 Wetsuit Guide is powered by our featured partners. The air is getting cold. So is the water. The difference between good and bad rubber is about to get real. It’s the difference between pain and comfort. The suits featured in The...
“Adidas and Nike Trim Wholesale and Skate Shops Object” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf (Executive Edition)
Please click on the following link to view this Shop Eat Surf News Article: Adidas and Nike Trim Wholesale and Skate Shops Object Please note that this article is a Shop Eat Surf Executive Edition article so you will need to sign up and pay for access before...
“VF snaps up Supreme for $2.1B, eyes brick-and-mortar expansion” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive
Dive Brief: VF Corp. on Monday said it has a deal to acquire streetwear brand Supreme for $2.1 billion, expected to close later this year, according to an investor presentation. Supreme founder James Jebbia and the brand's senior leadership team will stay with the...
“TAMPA AM PRESENTS: GLOBAL AMDEMIC ” via link on Skatepark of Tampa website
Watch the Global AMdemic Finals featuring the top Ams from over 500 entries from around the world, battling it out for Tampa Am spots, bragging rights and a $1,000 cash prize. Plus Independent Best Trick with feedback from judges Kelly Hart, Kelvin Hoefler, and Mike...
“SHACC Launches Educational Resources and Digital Tour” by Glenn Brumage via info from SHACC Newsletter
For all those surf shops, educators and parents out there looking to enrich the lives of customers, students and children, the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center (SHACC) in San Clemente, CA is proud to be able to support you with the newly launched Educational...
“Report confirms outdoor recreation is crucial to national and state economies” by Andrew Weaver via SNEWS
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its annual report that lays out the importance of the outdoor recreation economy in hard data. The numbers are in. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) came out with its annual report today...
“The puzzle of inventory during the pandemic” by Andrew Weaver via SNEWS
2020 has been a year of supreme uncertainly for specialty retail. Empty shelves, cancelled orders, and lopsided demand have forced shop owners to get creative to meet customers' needs. Here's what several retail owners say about the challenges they've faced. "If...
“Surf Expo to Hold In-Person Show in January” via Surf Expo PR on Shop Eat Surf
PRESS RELEASES | Published Nov 2, 2020 Surf Expo, the premier watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow announce today that their upcoming January 6-8, 2021 show will take place in the West Concourse of the Orange County Convention...
“Postmates looks to solve local retail’s last mile” by Tom Ryan of Retail Wire
Postmates, the Uber-owned on-demand delivery platform, has introduced a new service supporting the last-mile needs of local retailers. Under the program, Shop, local retailers create a virtual storefront on Postmates’ app, where they’ll be able to...
“10 Easy Ways to get Customer Reviews that Boost Retail Sales” by Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Customer reviews are very influential and can increase your sales more than marketing with a paid ad but can be hard to get. Here’s 10 proven tips to get customers to review your business online. There’s nothing shoppers consider buying without asking a friend,...
“Retail how-to: 5 tips for battling showroomers” by Carolyn Webber via SNEWS
Sure, price-shopping consumers can save a few dollars by buying from big e-tailing sites, but brick and mortar specialty shops can do more to capture those sales and create a long-term, loyal customers in the process. When you see a customer price-shopping in your...
“A Very Unequal Recovery: The New Face of Retail Darwinism” (plus links to relevant M1 webinars) by Marc Weiss – CEO, Management One
Initially, the outcome was unexpected. But as summer turned into fall, and as fall moves into holiday, we now know with certainty that Indie retailers are experiencing a very unequal recovery. At Management One, we have been tracking data by location every day since...
“CSEF Is Bridging Skateboarding and Higher Education” interview via Malakye.com
Keegan Guizard literally skated through college. He was an inspired student at North Carolina State University who founded a collegiate skate tour and then shortly after college he co-founded The College Skateboarding Educational Foundation (CSEF) with...
“Cooper talks to Tony Hawk about life in quarantine” interview by Anderson Cooper via CNN
Anderson Cooper talks to Tony Hawk about life in quarantine - CNN Video Anderson Cooper speaks to skateboarding legend Tony Hawk about life during the coronavirus pandemic. Watch "Full Circle" every Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 6pm E.T. www.cnn.com...
“Prime Day vs Election Day” by Dan Pankratz (Co-Founder of the Exchange Collective) via Building The Revolution
With Covid now in its 8th month and what could be Americas most debated presidential elections less than a month away, we are now faced with another decision that can change life as we know It.—- PRIME DAY. You might think voting for a Career Politician, a...
“The Black Surfing Association is Empowering Black Youth in Rockaway -PADDLING OUT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY WITH NEW YORK’S LOU HARRIS” by Owen James Burke via Surfer Magazine (from the final issue)
This feature originally appeared in SURFER Volume 61, Number 3. Since that issue’s release, due to the impact of the pandemic on SURFER’s business, the staff has been furloughed indefinitely and all content production has been paused. Hopefully SURFER will one day...
“Skate Shop Day” happens on Feb. 19th – Letter from Chris Neiratko of NJ, FAQs & more
We are re-posting the following information (FAQs and more) about Skate Shop Day with the following letter from NJ Skate Shop Owner, BRA Distinguished Retail Member and co-founder of Skate Shop Day, Chris Nieratko addressed to skate brands: Hello new and old friends,...
“How Can Surfcare Help My Surf Shop?” via BRA Supporting Vendor Partner Surfcare
Surfcare brochures on display at Rip Curl San Clemente. Shop employees share Surfcare with every perspective customer buying a new board. Surfcare’s Surfboard Protection Plans Can Help Your Board Shop Increase Sales & Customer Loyalty Customers want to feel...
“Venmo pilots Business Profile feature to showcase small businesses” by Tatiana Walk-Morris via Retail Dive
Dive Brief: Venmo announced that it launched Business Profiles, a feature which allows small businesses to create profiles and accept payments for their goods and services.With the payment platform's Business Profiles feature, sellers can accept contactless payments,...